Author's Note: Hello, welcome to my story! Astra Malfoy, in a nutshell, is a tale in which the Harry you know and love is turned into his female counterpart - Iris, or Astra(chapter four, don't worry) - adopted by our favorite evil Slytherins, the Malfoys! I hope you enjoy it. Most of the chapters are still undergoing revision, so excuse me if some come off as rather juvenile. Some of that is intentional - I'm channelling innocent little kids, not jaded war heroes. So things don't begin to darken till around third and fourth year. Hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 1548

Astra Malfoy

Book 1: Calm Before The Storm

Chapter One

Iris Potter had always known she was rather abnormal.

Special things happened to her when she was angry...weird things.

And it certainly helped that the name she had known for the majority of her six years of childhood was-

"Freak!" Dudley spat as he kicked her in the ribs.

Iris keeled over in pain.

Something was in her mouth. Dirt?

She tried to speak.."Stop..Dudley..Mum..help.."

"What was that? You missing your mummy? Aww, too bad you don't have one." He taunted cruelly. Dudley smirked before adding, "I think it's a good thing...you wanna know what I think, Freak? I think that even if your mum wasn't buried six feet deep in the ground, she'd be a drunk...probably was mighty ugly too."

"You shut up about my mother!" Iris yelled, her eyes flashing as she saw red. She hated Dudley. She wanted him to hurt. To feel pain.

"Why, huh? What you gonna do, Freak?" Dudley sneered.

"Freak, am I?!" Iris asked him. She felt a rage unlike any she had ever felt before. This rage was not hot, or fiery. This rage...this was cold. It froze.

"Oh, yeah. Dumbest Freak I ever saw," Dudley said.

Iris shoved him off her. The cold feeling told her to stand up over him. You are better. Stronger. And now, he's going to know it. Said the Cold.

"Then I suppose I'm far too dumb...to stop...this." The Cold gritted the words out slowly.

"Stop what?" Dudley asked nervously.

"This," said the Cold. The Cold wasn't Iris anymore. The Cold was something else...someone else. But Iris could tell the Cold wanted to help her. The Cold was a self-serving creature...but it wanted to help her.

And so, the Cold snapped Iris's fingers, and Dudley fell to the ground, wheezing.

"Stop," begged Dudley. "Please, Iris, stop!"

The Cold sneered, "I don't see why I should stop...I don't think I can anyways...if I'm the dumbest Freak that you ever saw."

"You're not!" Dudley said desperately. "I promise! You're not!"

"Are you sure, Dudley?" The Cold asked.

"Yes, yes! Yes!" Dudley whined pathetically.

"Well, I suppose I could stop…" The Cold pretended to think for a second before stopping.

Why did you stop?! Iris demanded.

It would cause far too many questions to answer if he died, the Cold answered. Iris reluctantly agreed.

"Th-th-thank you!" Dudley cried.

"You're welcome...Now get out." The Cold ordered.

Dudley turned around and ran as fast as he could.

What are you? Iris wondered.

I...do not know. The Cold answered, sounding annoyed.

Do you have a name? Iris asked.

This time, the Cold sounded amused. Haven't you been calling me "the Cold" in your head?

Yeah, but it's nice to ask. Iris told it.

Don't be nice, the Cold sneered. Nice will get you killed.

You helped me. Iris said reasonably. So, I'm nice...to YOU.

I understand, the Cold said reluctantly.

So, do you want a name?

Perhaps...The Cold said ponderingly.

Maybe, since you're cold...words like cold? Iris suggested.

Frigid...bitter...frosty...The Cold muttered.

"Fro-sty the snowman! Was a-" Iris hummed.

Never mind. The Cold interrupted. Frigid, or bitter?

I vote bitter, Iris volunteered.

Maybe Bitter a nickname...but for now, I rather like the Cold. It decided.

Sure, Iris agreed.

I must leave, said the Cold. I am tired.

Okay, Iris said sadly. She felt the Cold's consciousness melt away from her mind.

Then, a thought struck her mind. How did the Cold do that to Dudley?

How did they do that?

Iris shivered as she started to walk forward.

It was..it was like..like magic.

Magic wasn't real! She knew it.

Cold? No answer. Bitter? She tried. No answer. She frowned as her mind scrolled over all of the strange things that had happened to her before.

Dudley and his goons broke her glasses..they mended themselves within the night.

Aunt Petunia tried to make her wear an ugly pink dress, just a few days ago..and it got smaller and smaller and smaller until it didn't fit.

But none of the strange things had been as strange as this. She could no longer ignore it.

But magic couldn't be real, could it? Could it? Maybe..Iris was scared to even hope..it could.

By the time Iris reached the park, she was done contemplating. Magic was real. But how to prove it?

A flower. A lily.

Move..up! She glared at the lily. But it did nothing.

"Move!" She whispered angrily.

"Move, you stupid flower!" She waved her arms like a bird. She felt a tugging in her stomach.

The lily moved. Upwards and upwards it climbed. Taller than her, it floated higher and higher as she waved her arms!

"Wait, stop!" She didn't want it to go anymore. She put her hands down, but it was no use.

Iris was angry now. It wasn't like she cared about the lily, she was just mad it wasn't listening to her.

"Come back here!" She yelled. Another tugging in her stomach, but fiercer. Stronger.

The lily stopped moving and was suspended in the air. "Come..down.." Iris whispered softly. She moved her hands downward. And slowly, the lily fell to the ground.

She felt dizzy. She could see the lily getting smaller as Iris fell backwards. Iris, Iris! The Cold screamed. Stop, Iris!

But it was too late. Her eyes shut, and she saw black.

A little later..

Iris managed to blearily open her eyes. She could feel grass tickling her hair. In front of her was a pale man with long, silver hair. "Are you awake?" The blond asked.

"Y-yes, sir." She whispered. "Who-who are you?"

"My name is Lucius Malfoy." Lucius extended a hand to her. Iris took it and he helped her stand up.

"Th-thank you, Mr Malfoy. My name is Iris P-Potter."

Lucius' eyes went wide. "My..oh my." Lucius shook his head in disbelief.

"C-could you c-call my Aunt and Uncle so I can go home?" Iris asked quietly.

"Muggles? I wasn't aware James Potter had any siblings." Lucius had a look of disdain on his face when he said "Muggles"

"What are Muggles, sir?" Iris asked.

"Non-magicals, surely you know that even if you live with filth." Lucius frowned.

Iris cracked a smile at the word filth. Her family certainly were. But.."What do you mean, magicals?"

Iris's heart was racing faster.

Could magic really be real?

No way!

It would make sense if it was, though…

"You mean to tell me," Lucius' face was filled with rage, "that your filthy relatives never told you about your heritage? About Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts? What's that?" Iris's expression was that of childlike curiosity.

"I.." Lucius had to sit down.

His body was shaking.

"Are you okay, sir?" Iris asked.

"Yes, Ms Potter, I am fine. I have a few things to explain, the first being magic is real." Lucius looked her straight in the eyes, and Iris saw nothing but the truth.

"I knew..I knew there had to be something special about me.." Iris made a fist with her hands. "But can you prove it?"

Lucius nodded. He took out a long, thin stick. "This is a wand," he said.

Then he flicked it, and suddenly Iris's hair was silvery-blond, just like his. Iris wasn't like most girls.

Her appearance never mattered to her. All she did was look at Lucius in awe. "That was amazing!"

Then she composed herself. "I believe you.."

"Good," Lucius gave a curt nod. "Would you like me to give you to your..family now? I don't approve of filth like Muggles..I don't, but if you wish to stay there until you are eleven.."

"No," Iris interrupted, her eyes flashing. "I don't. They're evil. Dudley, my whale of a cousin, beats me and bullies me when he gets the chance. My aunt and uncle lock me in a cupboard and starve me when I did something wrong.

"The whole reason I'm here is because I was running from Dudley, and I didn't know my own name until last year, when I started school. In fact, I'd always thought it was 'Freak', because that was what they called me. They hurt me and scarred me and no way, no way am I going back." Iris finished, panting a little.

"Would you like to come with me?" Lucius offered. "Perhaps we can work out a way to get you away from those of muddy blood."

"Yes, please!" Iris nodded. She didn't know what the muddy blood comment meant, but if it meant leaving the Dursleys, by all means she was willing to find out.

But as she and Lucius Malfoy walked away, she searched her consciousness for a familiar voice.

She heard none.

The Cold was gone.